I Solemnly Swear
by SilverLight7
Summary: It was an accident, really. Regardless, Teddy and Orion now find themselves stuck in their parents' time with only the vaguest idea on how they got there. Harry was not going to be happy about this... Slight AU but mostly DH compliant. JPLE, RLNT, SBOC.
1. Chapter 1

Hey everyone. Well, I've decided to start another HP fic. Yes, it is time travel (those of you who have read my other works should know how infatuated I am with that particular subject), but this time it's not Harry.

The idea struck me out of the blue a few weeks ago and has not given me a moments peace. I am aware of other stories out there have already come up with the idea of Sirius having a child and said child going back in time, but I figured one more couldn't hurt.

So little Orion (for that is what he has been dubbed, though he's not so little here) shall find himself traveling back in time with his best friend and partner in crime, Teddy Lupin. Read on if you're interested, if not, you can turn back now.

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.**

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Chapter 1

"Bloody hell, Orion! That's the last time you plan our evening!"

Ted Remus Lupin, affectionately known as Teddy, was **not** a happy person. Not at the moment anyway. His head was pounding painfully and his stomach was churning so much he felt he would spill his dinner with the slightest movement. As soon as it passed, he would be sure his companion would pay…

Even if it was partly his fault.

Held back snickers met his ears, freezing his thoughts in place. Last time he checked, he and Orion had been quite alone. His eyes snapped open at the prospect of possible danger, but upon noticing the occupants of the room, they widened almost comically.

"Fuck."

He resisted the urge to laugh at the look some of the women gave him. Luckily, their attention was drawn by the answering reply.

"Language, Ted," Orion said in obvious amusement while sounding completely smashed all the same. "You know your dear ol' Gram would never approve."

There was a groan and a rustle of movement.

"Oh…my head. You didn't spike the fire whisky 'gain didya Teddy?"

"'Fraid not. Now, if you'd pay more attention, you'll see we're not in the best…predicament."

"Wha-? Oh, shit."

Orion had opened his eyes and spotted the wary, yet amused group. He laid back down with a grimace.

"Harry's gonna _kill_ us…"

Only Ted noticed how this sparked the attention of those watching them.

"Orion!" he hissed.

"I'm too young and handsome to die, Ted!" the other continued, oblivious to the warning. "Told ya we shouldn't have had that drinkin' contest in there-!"

"Orion!!"

"What? Oh…"

He smiled sheepishly at the people surrounding them.

"Pleasure. Name's Orion and that's Ted…Though I guess you knew that already…"

Ted sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"Why do I even bother?"

While some of them looked like they wanted to laugh, others looked suspicious and -dare they say it?- angry.

"Mind telling us how it is you two got here?"

"Er-"

Ted rubbed the back of his head. The fact that everyone had wands out and pointing at them didn't help.

"Mind giving us a calendar first," Orion interrupted with a hiccup. "Not exactly sober, as you can see. Calandar'd help me know if I was out for a week again or not."

Ted could've kissed Orion right then if the very idea didn't make him sick. He did have Victoire, after all. It was a great way to check the date without arising suspicion. Their current interrogator looked at them with suspicion before stiffly turning around, grabbing something off a shelf, and tossing it to them. Ted looked at the calendar for a few moments before his face quickly drained of color. Orion, who had leaned over to look, experienced a similar reaction.

Ted closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Merlin, I was afraid of this…"

Orion let out a somewhat disturbing giggle.

"Oh yea, Ted. We are so dead when we get home…"

Between them was the calendar, its bright red letters and numbers staring back at them almost mockingly.

**September 30, 1981**.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The prologue type thing is done!

Umm…not much to add, actually. I already have Orion's dear mum planned out. An original character, seeing as there's really no choice otherwise. She won't be introduced for a few chapters yet (I think), but I do hope you readers will like her when she does make an appearance.

Oh, yea. Names. I'm a bit torn on Orion's middle name. I'm trying to decide between Orion Matthew Black and Orion Vega Black. Matthew because…well, I don't really know why, but it popped into my head while writing and it fits, in a weird way. Vega because it fits with that whole 'Name members of the Black family after stars' thing. I'm leaning a bit more toward Matthew, but if you prefer Vega, let me know. If I get enough people telling me they prefer Vega, it might tip the scale.

Anyway, that's about it. Hope you enjoyed. I'll try to update soon. Thanks and take care!


	2. Chapter 2

It's been almost a year since I published this and I can't tell you how sorry I am about that. I had about half of this chapter typed up for the longest time, but I'm not quite sure what kept me from finishing it until now. A combination of procrastination and writer's block, I guess. I don't plan on leaving so much time between updates from now on, but I know better than to make any promises.

Anyway, I don't want to keep you, so please read on and (hopefully) enjoy.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter. I suppose I own Orion (though they do have his name on the list of characters, so I wonder about him) and his mother (who is mentioned at the end) since they came from my mind and exist solely in this story and not in canon.

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Chapter 2

"Fan-fucking-tastic," Orion grumbled while holding his head. "What're we -hic!- supposed to do _now_?"

"Hell if I know," Ted responded tiredly. "Why don't you try coming up with something for once?"

Orion sputtered indignantly.

"It's your fault we're here in the first place!"

Ted glared.

"I really don't see how this is my fault!"

"You're the one that-…that wanted to have that drinking contest! And how is it that you're -hic!- sober already?!"

"Don't pin the blame on me, you lousy mutt! You agreed to it, so it's just as much your fault as it is mine!"

"Who you callin' a mutt, snuggles?!"

Ted flushed in anger and embarrassment.

"Don't call me that!"

"Suits you, doesn't it?!"

The next moment, Orion was on his back, a bruise already starting to form on his face from where Ted had punched him. He lay there, dazed, and staring blearily at the ceiling. Almost instantly, Ted's face paled and his eyes filled with worry and guilt.

"Merlin, Orion, I'm so sorry! It's just that this is a little hard to deal with and I guess it just got to m-"

Ted never got to finish.

"There. Now we're even."

Orion groaned softly, as his head now hurt even more than before, but smirked smugly at what he knew would be a vicious black eye for Ted later.

"Apology accepted, by the way."

"You bastard."

"Why yes, I am."

Ted snorted once before breaking out into laughter, Orion joining in moments later. It was ridiculous, really, laughing right after almost knocking each other's brains out, but both of them were too close to have taken serious offense. It had been a result of rising panic, nothing more, and they knew that.

"Ah, a truer friendship would be hard to find."

Ted and Orion started, before turning wide eyed stares to the new speaker.

"Dumbledore," they chimed in slight awe.

Dumbledore had an expression of slight curiosity, his eyes twinkling as he studied the two youths in front of him.

"Yes, I'm Dumbledore. Do I know you?"

"Not directly."

Ted elbowed Orion before adopting a more hesitant expression.

"It's a long story, sir. We'll tell you as much as we can, but we're not making any promises. First though, would you please tell us where we are?"

"Why do you want to know?! Gonna tell your master, are ya?"

"W-What!?"

"You mean Voldemort?! Ted and I'd rather kiss a Dementor before becoming Death Eaters!"

"You would, would you? It can be arranged."

"Now Alastor, I'm sure they have a very exciting reason as to being here."

Dumbledore eyed them with a scrutinizing gaze for a moment before appearing to have come to a conclusion.

"You are within the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix-"

"Dumbledore! W-"

"And I assure you, anything you say will be held in the strictest confidentiality."

When they relaxed, a victorious glint emerged in madly twinkling eyes.

"Now, if you would be so kind, Ted and Orion, was it? Yes, would you kindly inform us of your full names and what _year_ you're from?"

The two in question weren't the only ones to gape.

"B-But…How-?"

Dumbledore chuckled merrily.

"Well, your reaction for one. Then there was the calendar. You could've just as easily asked for the date, but more than likely would not have been able to ask for the year without arising suspicion. Finally, I must say you greatly resemble two of our very own Order members."

Orion and Ted looked at each other.

"Guess we're busted, Ted."

"Guess so. Harry was right about him. Hard to pull anything over his eyes…"

They looked back at Dumbledore and the curious Order members, some of who had already figured out which members they resembled and were gaping at them accordingly. With a sigh that he somehow felt was sealing his fate, Ted answered the question.

"My name is Ted Lupin-"

There were a few gasps of surprise.

"-and my friend here is Orion Black."

He looked down to avoid the stares.

"We're from the year 2016."

XXXXXXX

It had taken a while to calm everyone down, but once they did, Dumbledore turned twinkling eyes to the two young men before him.

"2016? That's quite a ways away. May I inquire as to how this came about?"

"S'all Ted's fault," Orion slurred before holding his head in pain. "Anyone got some hangover potion?"

Nothing sobered you up quite like a punch to the face, only now his head was hurting twice as much as before. If he could get rid of at least some of it with a potion… Someone snorted.

"That's Black's kid alright."

Orion stiffened in presumed indignation, but only Ted knew it was from the mention of his friend's father.

"I resent that," Orion continued without any more indication of his discomfort. "You try drinking some of Ted's special fire whisky and see how you like it."

"Special?"

Before he could answer, Dumbledore interrupted.

"There will be plenty of time for that later. Mr. Prewett, would you please go fetch Mr. Black some pain relieving potion?"

"Which one? Me or Fabian?"

"Doesn't matter," Moody growled. "We need to get them outta the way before someone sees'm."

"Sees them…? Oh, that's right! It's a full Order meeting, isn't it? Haven't had one of those since the Potters and Longbottoms went into hi-"

"Now!"

Both Prewetts gave a squeak and hurried out of the room. They'd barely gone a few steps before running solidly into the person who'd just tried to enter.

"Oww…"

Fabian and Gideon jumped up and, after a look of dread toward Moody, each extended a hand out to the third victim of their collision.

"Sorry about that, Remus."

"Yea. I mean running into one person is bad enough, but two? That's just bad luck."

He sent them a smile before accepting their aid.

"It's all right," he told them as he dusted himself off.

Ted's chest constricted painfully. For the first time since they'd arrived, he felt any professionalism he'd had with the situation fade. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he'd known that being here meant his parents were alive, but the fact hadn't really hit home…

Until now.

He knew what his father looked like. There were more than enough stories and pictures for him to know. Seeing him standing before him…_alive_…was a whole other matter entirely. He felt a gentle nudge at his side and turned to look at Orion.

"Calm down, mate," he muttered, "You're gonna pass out at the rate you're going."

Was he? Now that he thought about it, he was breathing rather fast. He took a few calming breaths.

"Thanks."

Orion grinned slightly.

"Just make sure to do the same for me later. Get the feeling I'm gonna need it."

"Will do."

Remus' voice brought them back to the situation at hand.

"Frank and Alice are upstairs, getting Neville settled in. They should be here shortly."

"They were escorted safely, then?"

"As far as I know."

He finally noticed the two males sitting on the floor with some confusion and a bit of trepidation. Ted looked away.

"Who are they?"

"There's a rather interesting story-"

"That we haven't heard yet."

Dumbledore ignored the comment. Despite the earlier suggestion to keep them hidden, he looked to be enjoying the situation far more than he should.

"-that these young men were about to recount. All we know so far are their names, and that they are from the year 2016."

Remus looked skeptical.

"2016? Are you sure? It could just be a disguise."

"At least one of you has some sense," Moody interrupted. "He has a point, Albus. I say we use Veritiserum."

"No!"

All heads turned to look at the two time travelers in suspicion. Orion turned to Ted helplessly, earning a scowl. With a nervous sigh, he looked at Dumbledore, being sure to avoid his father's gaze.

"That would be a bad idea. If you did something like that, we wouldn't be able to control what we told you-"

"That's kind of the point."

"Please let me finish," he said, slightly annoyed.

Remus was struck with a sudden familiarity at his expression. Though it was pushed to the side as he continued.

"As I was saying, we wouldn't be able to control it. You could ask us anything about the future, even something that would be hazardous to the timeline if you knew, and we wouldn't be able to stop ourselves from replying. See where I'm going with this? There's too much at stake."

Grudgingly, they admitted that he had a point. If he was telling the truth, that is, but they didn't want to risk it.

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"I've got an idea."

Orion felt a wave of nervousness at the sudden attention, though it was barely a distraction compared to the pounding of his head.

He never did get that hangover potion.

He bit back a groan as a sudden wave of nausea washed over him, and also had to stop himself from rubbing his, already dark, bruise. He didn't want Ted to feel guilty, after all.

"Well?"

"Oh, right. We could do an U-"

"We're here!"

Sirius Black was not a man that was intimidated easily. He attributed it to the long years he'd spent with his so called family before finally deciding he'd had enough of them. Regardless, even he stepped back as everyone in the room (minus the obvious…and Dumbledore) gave him irritated glares.

"What'd I do?"

A snort was heard behind him.

"What _haven't_ you done, Padfoot? Now move outta the way. You're blocking the entrance."

Sirius stepped to the side with a pout, allowing everyone behind him to step inside. James came in, took one glance at everyone, and looked at Sirius incredulously.

"Jeez. What _did_ you do?"

"I don't know," he cried while tossing his tossing his hands into the air.

"Well whatever it was, I don't think they're too happy about it," Lily remarked, coming up beside James.

Sirius sent her a mildly annoyed look.

"Gee, thanks for pointing that out. Never would've figured it out on my own."

"Glad you agree."

James snickered, but quickly coughed to cover it up and would later adamantly deny doing it at all if asked. He had to at least appear to be on his best friend's side, even if he really wasn't.

"What's going on?"

Frank and Alice Longbottom were the last to step in, looking curious and slightly amused.

"Sirius went and got the whole room angry."

"What did he do?"

"Why does no one ever doubt I did something?"

"Because it's usually true."

Sirius only crossed his arms and grumbled. The room looked on and couldn't help but smile a bit at their antics. Remus did so a bit sadly. Recently there had been a growing tension between him and Sirius, and while they still spoke regularly, it just wasn't the same. He had a pretty good guess as to why, but thinking of that only made it hurt more. He didn't want to face the fact that one of his best friends was starting to lose trust in him just because of his condition. So he ignored it, hoping that everything would work out in the end.

"If you're done," Moody cut in, irritated. "I want to deal with them as soon as possible."

"Them who?"

James stepped to the side in order to see behind the Auror and felt his eyes widen.

"Padfoot! Moony! Why didn't you tell me you'd cloned yourselves?!"

This was met with laughter and sighs of exasperation. James blushed, belatedly realizing how he must've sounded, which only increased their amusement. Dumbledore's light chuckles quieted everyone down.

"I see you've spotted our guests."

Sirius joined James in studying them. They did look an awful lot like him and Lupin. His mini clone looked out of it though. Maybe he was drunk? The thought made him grin. The kid definitely got his inebriated state down if he was trying to impersonate him.

"Who are they? Imposters?"

"Always to the point, Sirius. Very well, our friends here, due to circumstances that we do not yet know, have arrived here from their own time of 2016."

Had it not been a time of war and unrest, they might've taken his words at face value and been excited. As it was, their reactions were the same as everyone else's.

"Are you sure?"

"At this point, I am quite positive. Although Alastor would like a bit more evidence."

"But how's that possible? A time turner couldn't possibly go back that far!"

"That, Remus, is exactly what we plan on finding out."

"First things first. Boy!"

Orion jumped and shrunk back a bit as both of Moody's eyes fell on him.

"You were saying something about having another way to be sure you weren't lying. I'll give you one chance. If it ain't good, we do it my way."

He hesitated. It wouldn't have been a big deal if they'd done it a few minutes ago, but now…

'_There are worse things than our fathers knowing who we are, I guess…Sorry Ted, but it's the best option we have.'_

"Well?"

He sighed.

"We could do an Unbreakable Vow."

"No way," Ted immediately protested.

"Why not? They know we're telling the truth, and the time stream isn't put into jeopardy."

"It's too dangerous."

"Not as much as letting them give us the serum."

"I know that. It's just…"

"Do you have a better idea?"

Orion's tone was hopeful. It only showed how much he disliked the idea, but Ted knew he was right. It was the smartest choice. The thought had even passed through his mind before he disregarded it.

"No. You're right."

"Damn, I hoped I wasn't…"

A brief smile flickered on both of their faces.

"What say you, oh Mighty Mad-Eye?"

Moody glared fiercely at Orion, who did his best not to show how much it freaked him out.

"Good enough," he finally said. "Get to it."

Ted and Orion exchanged glances.

"Should I go first, or should you?"

"Does it matter?"

"I suppose not…I mean, we're just giving them our names, right?"

"Still…"

Orion scoffed.

"Oh, all _right_, you big chicken. I'll go first."

Although the remark itself was confident, they all saw the nervousness that Orion's eyes held as he lifted his wand. He took a shaky breath and began.

"I, Orion Matthew Black-"

Sirius froze in shock.

"-do so solemnly swear on my life and on the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black that I am who I claim to be and that I am, indeed, from the future."

There was an almost blinding flash of light as the vow finished. When it faded, he grinned weakly.

"How's that?"

No one replied for a moment, which made him look away uneasily. He stumbled back with a startled yell when Sirius suddenly appeared in front of him, an odd emotion in his eyes.

"You-…You're-"

For the first time since his father had stepped into the room, Orion met his gaze, his eyes full of uncertainty and hesitance.

"Hello…Dad."

Silence fell over the room as reality finally hit the remaining members. Sirius could only gape, and Orion promptly turned his face away to hide his anguished discomfort. Ted shifted slightly in order to block what he was unable to hide from the crowd.

The mood was broken when James dragged Sirius away with a wide grin before hitting him on the back a few times.

"Way to go! Who'd have thought you'd have it in you to settle down? So who's the lucky lady? Is it Christine? You've been seeing her lately, right?…Or was it Danielle?"

James continued to tease, pulling out the names of several other women that his friend had dated throughout the years, unaware of the way the youngest Black's fists were slowly turning white from pressure. Ted sent him a concerned glance.

"Easy mate. Bit worse than not being able to breathe, don't you think?"

Orion scowled.

"Think anyone would mind if I killed'm?"

"Which one? James or your dad?"

"Good question. How about both?"

"They might be a bit mad if you did that. You could get away with one, maybe."

"What, no lecture on how it would create a paradox or something?"

Ted shrugged, relieved that he'd succeeded in distracting him.

"Can't say they don't deserve it."

"I knew you were my best friend for a reason."

"Well doesn't that make me feel loved."

"Oh, quit whining. You have a girlfriend, don't you?"

"That's true. It seems only Victoire cares about me. Everyone else has abandoned me to my fate."

"Seriously Ted, it's times like these I wonder why you weren't in Gryffindor. They're masters of the melodramatic."

"I've got too much common sense to be in there. Remember the last quidditch game of our sixth year? Gryffindor versus Slytherin?"

"That was the one where McCarthy tried to do the Woollongong Shimmy while upside down, isn't it?" **[1]**

"Yea. He said it would confuse them even more."

"I _still_ can't believe it worked…It's a wonder that he became an Auror."

"I think it's Lucas' doing, mostly. He usually tries to keep him from doing anything stupid. Besides, when he puts some effort into it, he can be pretty good."

"That, and- do you mind?"

They'd been so engrossed in their conversation, that they failed to notice the teasing had stopped, and that everyone was watching them in curiosity.

"Yea, we do. Your friend still needs to make an oath."

The good mood broke at that. Ted seemed even more reluctant than Orion now that the attention was on him. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Could be a lot worse than him knowing who you are, Teddy."

"…I know."

He took a deep breath and raised his wand.

"I, Ted Remus Lupin, do so solemnly swear on my life and honor that I am who I claim to be and that I am, indeed, from the future."

Another flash of light, and another silence. Ted joined others in looking at his father, who had gone pale at the name and was still standing stiffly.

"Lu-Lupin?" He choked out. "B-But I couldn't-- I _wouldn't_-- Not when-"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Ted said quietly. "That's all the proof you need…"

Those that knew of his secret watched in understanding as Remus looked ecstatic and horrified all at once. Finally, he fell back onto a sofa.

"This-…This is a lot to take in."

"Tell me about it," agreed Sirius. "I thought James here would be the only one of us to spawn. Ow! What was _that_ for, Lily?!"

He was rubbing his upper arm while Lily glared.

"Honestly! Couldn't you use a better term?"

"What's wrong with spawn?"

"What _isn't_ wrong with it?!"

"I think it happens to be amusing."

"Yea? Well you-"

"QUIET!"

Their mouths snapped shut, plunging the room into immediate silence. Moody's eye swirled violently as it locked onto every individual in the room.

"I'd like to leave before tomorrow," he growled.

When no one said anything, Orion leaned over to Ted with a nervous chuckle.

"Harry was right about him," he whispered. "Outright scary bloke, isn' he?"

He sat up straight when both of Moody's eyes locked on him with a glare.

"On to business," he said, choosing to ignore the comment. "How did you get here?"

Ted frowned.

"That's the question, isn't it?"

Orion crossed his arms with a thoughtful frown.

"It all started when we went out for our weekly drink, I guess."

Ted nodded.

"That sounds about right."

At the questioning looks, he began to clarify.

"Orion and I go out for drinks every Saturday. It's a good way to wrap up the week."

"Unless there's a get-together, anyway."

Ted smiled in remembrance.

"Too true, those are much better. Anyway, this week all the pubs were uncomfortably full. We wanted a good place to celebrate, since we'd both gotten promoted in our respective jobs-"

"Ted's an Auror and I work for Gringotts."

"Right. So, Orion suggested I pull out some of my custom made fire whiskey-"

"The normal stuff's no good for him, you see. He needs something stronger-"

"_You_ want to tell them what happened?"

"Oh no, you're doing a great job."

Ted sighed and glared half-heartedly at Orion, who only grinned. It was eerie how much they resembled their fathers.

"As I was saying…I didn't see any harm in it, so I grabbed a few bottles and met up with Orion."

He flushed a little at the next part.

"Then we, ah, snuck into Hogwarts- It's the summer holidays!" He added hastily at McGonagall's reprimanding stare. "It's technically public property during the summer!"

"He has a fair point, Minerva," Dumbledore added cheerily. "Although the wards will still prevent certain individuals from entering."

McGonagall still looked irritated, but said nothing. Ted rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"By that time, we'd already had a few drinks. And if _I_ was feeling a bit lightheaded, then no doubt Orion was completely smashed."

"And _I'm_ the one who can keep sober the most with that firewhiskey besides Ted."

"Not quite something you should be proud of there, Orion."

He shrugged.

"So, because of that, the next details are fuzzy…We went into one of the rooms- not sure which -and had a drinking contest."

"Best one yet. I was _this_ close to beating him."

Ted grinned.

"Keep dreaming. Anyway, strangely enough, it was Orion who first pointed out that maybe we shouldn't be in there, as the door was locked, but in our state of minds, the warning was ignored. We had our contest, something happened, we passed out and here we are."

"Waiting for someone to realize we're missing- Vicky, probably, tell Harry, then have him somehow come here and kill us for placing the whole time/space thing in jeopardy."

Orion said the last part quite cheerfully, which unnerved the few who weren't used to this behavior. Their attention was brought back when Teddy smacked Orion upside the head.

"Did you sleep through every Magical Theory class? Harry _can't_ come here, seeing as he already exists. It could mess things up even more than us!"

Orion rubbed his head and sent a sulking glare at Ted.

"Well _excuse_ me for missing that _one_ lesson, but I never really thought the whole time travel bit would ever apply to me."

Ted had the decency to blush lightly. Now that that was over, Orion looked a lot more serious as he crossed his arms.

"If Harry can't come- though I seriously doubt that's going to stop him from trying -then who could they send? Most of the kids are too young. The most logical choice would be Victoire, but knowing Bill…"

He smirked slightly at Ted's grimace. If there was anyone who knew how protective the oldest Weasley son was of his daughter, it was Ted. Unintentionally, they had caught the attention of two members of the Order.

"Bill? You wouldn't be talking about Molly Weasley's oldest son Bill, would you?"

Ted and Orion jerked slightly and turned to look at the speaker. They recognized them as Fabian and Gideon Prewett from the picture of the old Order Harry had shown them. It was a bit surreal, seeing as they resembled George (and probably Fred had he still been alive).

"Err…yes," Ted finally responded, not seeing any harm in replying.

"Hear that, Fab? Bill went and had a kid."

Both of them were grinning.

"Molly'd have kittens if she found out."

"Discuss it later," Moody interrupted. "We have to figure out how to get them home."

"The safest bet would be to try to find the room we came across here and get back before anyone notices we're missing."

The occupants of the room, sans Ted, turned to look at him in surprise. He huffed.

"What? You don't get to work for Gringotts with just charming good looks, you know."

James laughed and looked at Sirius.

"He's definitely your son," he said.

"Albeit with more brains," added Remus.

"Must be his mother's work," quipped Lily.

"Hey!"

They shared a few laughs at his expense. However, the comments brought the same question to everyone's mind. Who _was_ his mother? Who could possibly get _the_ Sirius Black to settle down and have a family? It was, shockingly, McGonagall who first posed the question. Orion looked away.

"I-…don't know if I should say…"

Some of the group groaned.

"Why not?"

Orion grew quiet, worrying the Order. Ted drew their attention away by responding.

"The ehh…_circumstances_ that brought Orion's mum and dad together have a lot to do with what was going on at the time. It's tied so closely with future events that it might jeopardize the future if we said anything."

"That bad, huh?"

Those who knew Sirius could sense his disappointment. Ted nodded.

"So does that mean they didn't love each other until these events happened?"

"That's not it!" Orion exclaimed.

He looked away again, this time in embarrassment.

"I don't know about Dad- err, cuz he's never told me, but Mum loved him before everything happened. One of the reasons it took so long for them to get together was that Mum thought Dad didn't like her that way, so she kept quiet about how she felt."

James sighed.

"Suppose that's expected."

Sirius pouted.

"What's that mean?"

"Means that you're with so many women that it figures the one who actually _likes_ you doesn't want to admit it."

"All the women I've dated have liked me."

James, Remus, and Lily snorted lightly.

"They did!"

"Look," Orion interrupted, eager to change the subject. "As interesting as this is, we still need to figure out a plan. You're all obviously busy, if I'm right in my guess and we interrupted an Order meeting, so you don't exactly have manpower to spare. It's September, so combing the school for the room in question is going to be much harder than if it were summer. Most importantly, this is a time of war. Ted and I can put up a real fight, but we're not stupid enough to think we're invincible. If, for any reason, we were to fall to Death Eaters, it would be _disastrous_. We know all sorts of information that Voldemort would _love_ to get his hands on, and he'd have no qualms on the methods he'd use to get it out of us. For everyone's safety, we have to get back to our own time as quickly and inconspicuously as possible."

Silence followed this speech, as everyone, once again, stared at Orion in surprise. He scowled in irritation.

"For crying out loud!" He exclaimed, exasperated, while leveling a glare at Sirius. "What kind of idiot_ were_ you if everyone seems to be so surprised at anything that sounds even _remotely_ smart coming from me?!"

"I am _not_ an idiot!"

"Sure seems that way!"

"Now listen here, I don't care if you _are_ my son, I won't stand by and let you call me-!"

Dumbledore chose to intervene before the situation got out of hand.

"Sirius, please calm yourself."

He did so with noticeable effort. Satisfied, Dumbledore turned to Orion.

"I apologize, Mr. Black-"

"Orion."

"-we didn't mean to insult. As a bit of an answer to your earlier question, I believe it would be best if you were to remain here at Headquarters for now until we figure out our course of action. Alastor? What do you think?"

"Good plan, only we should have someone stay here to keep an eye on'm. Still don't trust'm, and even if they were tellin' the truth, who's to say they won't go sneaking out?"

"We won't," they answered in unison. "Trust us," Teddy added. "We have more sense than that."

Moody made a sound that sounded like a snort.

"Least someone does. A good head on your shoulders'll keep you alive. It all comes down to CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

The time travelers started, causing some smiles and a muffled laugh. They glared, but eventually sighed and let it go.

"So you got some rooms for us, or what?"

"I believe so…Though to be sure we'd have to ask."

Lily looked around.

"Where is Elaine, anyway? I didn't see her coming in."

"She and Mr. Pettigrew are meeting with the dwarves in order to see if we can form some sort of alliance."

Ted and Orion did their best not to let their discomfort show.

"Peter? Is it…_wise_ to send him on such a delicate mission?"

"Has to learn it sometime," Moody interjected. "Dwarves haven't tried to kill us yet, so it's probably the safest bet. Girl won't let anything happen to'm."

"So they won't be here for the meeting?"

"On the contrary, James. They should be here shortly."

Almost as if timed, the door to the room opened. The woman who entered looked a mess. Her robes were singed, her skin spotted with dried mud, a fine layer of dirt had coated her disheveled hair, and the smell of gunpowder and pine hung around her.

All of this didn't stop Orion from tensing with an inaudible hitch of his breath.

"Sorry I'm late," she said with a slight rasp. "There were a few…complications."

'_Mum…'_

XXXXXXX

Chapter two is done. As far as chapters go, I think it came out all right.

So, the Order knows who their guests are now. The trouble is getting them home before Murphy's Law kicks into high gear.

As the chapters go on, the old Order will learn more about their future. Their reactions are something you'll have to read. History on Orion and his mum are a must, as they do play an important part to the plot, so you'll see where they fit into HP canon plot. I'll try my best to write them as normal, flawed human beings instead of super perfect, predictable characters (those traits really annoy me in an OC), but I do tend to slip the boundaries sometimes. I'd appreciate it if you, the readers, please let me know if I start treading those dangerous waters.

Yes, Orion works for Gringotts. Originally, I had him as an Auror too, but this just struck me out of the blue and I liked it enough to go along with it. Auror is overused. Curse-breaker for Gringotts is still fresh. Bill is the only one I've seen who does it, be it canon or fan fiction, so it's definitely different. It seems to suit him more anyway.

Anyway, I think that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed. I'll try not to take so long next time. So long, and take care!

[1] Woollongong Shimmy is an actual Quidditch move. More specifically, it's a high-speed zigzagging maneuver that's used to throw off chasers.


	3. Chapter 3

Well, here we are with chapter 3. It's been a while, and I apologize for that. Really.

Anyway, I won't keep you any longer. Most of what I have to say will be at the bottom. Please enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.**

XXXXXXX

Chapter 3

The room fell silent at her entrance for a moment before she was surrounded by most of the Order members, all of them voicing their concerns. She smiled and waved them off gently, though clearly a bit flustered by the attention. Orion was watching her all the while. The moment he'd seen her, he froze, but the moment she spoke, he felt like he couldn't breathe.

This was his _mother_…

She looked just like she did in the picture lying innocently in his wallet. Granted, she was older in the photo, but it was impossible not to know who she was. The soft face, the dark auburn color of the hair that shone through the dirt, and her eyes the same shade of sapphire blue he knew his own to be. A strange, sort of strangled sound broke its way through his lips, earning him an elbow to the ribs courtesy of Ted.

Ted, meanwhile, was looking at his friend in concern, but knew better than to tell him to control himself. Not when he couldn't deny that he was having issues of his own. His eyes saddened as he turned back to look at her. She seemed so different from the woman he'd seen in his godfather's pensieve.

'_She's not missing an eye for starters,'_ he mused.

That wasn't quite it, though. She was so much more shy and soft-spoken. So…

Innocent.

That was it, he concluded. This Elaine hadn't yet experienced the pain of having the man she loved framed for murder, or the grief that came from losing some of her best and closest friends. This Elaine still hadn't started a wearisome, twelve year quest to prove a man's innocence only to turn out with nothing in the end. This Elaine…still hadn't had her love torn away from her so soon after finding happiness with him.

The last thought made his mood even more somber than before. Orion's parents had been together a much shorter time than his own, and their relationship had definitely been more tragic. If it had been him and Victoire in their position, he knew he would've taken it much worse. That only said good things about the strength of Elaine and Sirius.

'_Still,'_ he thought sadly as she finally managed to pull away from the group. _'Even __**they'd**__ had their limits.'_

"I'm fine," she reassured them. "Really," she added to Frank, who was ready to protest once more.

He seemed to relax a bit at this. James, however, frowned as he noticed his friend's absence.

"Where's Peter?"

Elaine sighed a bit reluctantly. "He went home to wash up."

"Why? He knew there was an Order meeting today."

"…He…made a mistake when we visited the Dwarves. One that I'm afraid insulted them quite badly."

Those that could see where this was leading to couldn't quite hold back their groans at this.

"So I guess we shouldn't count on them helping us any time soon?"

She shook her head grimly, confirming their suspicions.

"Poor guy," Sirius added. "Probably feels guilty about the whole thing."

Ted and Orion winced, both knowing he wouldn't sound so sympathetic if he knew what was to going to happen to him through of Wormtail's actions. Dumbledore sighed, his eyes dimming slightly.

"This is grave news, indeed. I had hoped for their support."

"I'm sorry-"

He shook his head. "There is nothing to forgive. Mistakes have been made in worse places and easily forgiven. Neither you nor Peter are to blame."

They winced again. They had very little reason to doubt he hadn't messed up intentionally. Dwarves were always a force to be reckoned with. Voldemort would be stupid to allow his enemies to form an alliance with such a formidable group, so he'd probably had Wormtail make sure it never happened.

"What I wouldn't give to strangle the bastard right here and now," Orion hissed under his breath.

Ted nodded subtly. Almost everything that the Potters, Lupins, and Blacks (the good ones, that is) lost could be linked to the man's betrayal. It was taking a good amount of his self-control not to say anything to the group before him.

"Now," Dumbledore said with a quiet clap of his hands. "There are other matters that need addressing. Now that you are here, we can go about providing accommodations for our guests."

"Guests?"

Dumbledore stepped aside to reveal the two men behind him. She stared at them for a moment, curious, before her eyes widened. She turned to look at Remus first, studying him before turning her gaze back to Teddy. She did the same with Sirius and Orion before finally looking at Dumbledore in confusion.

"Brothers?"

A few people snorted at this, though they had to admit it was a reasonable guess. The four in question made a face at the assumption, still a bit displaced at the situation they found themselves in. Dumbledore smiled.

"No, but you are very close. You see, while you and Peter were gone, these two came into our meeting quite unexpectedly. We're still not sure as to _how_, but we intend to find out."

"But how was it unexpected? I thought the wards and the charm would keep people we don't want from coming in."

His smile widened a bit. "Ah, that's the most extraordinary part. These young men have come to us from a completely different time. The year 2016, to be precise."

Yes, Dumbledore was definitely enjoying this far too much. Elaine stared at him for a moment.

"You're sure of this?"

"Very."

"All right."

If anyone was surprised of her easy acceptance, they didn't show it. Instead, they watched as she approached the two with a soft smile.

"Well, seeing as you're from the future, I guess you know who most- if not all -of us are, correct?"

They nodded.

"I suppose that would make introductions rather unnecessary, but for my own peace of mind, I'm Elaine Phalen."

Only those who knew of the particular reaction would notice the way her nose scrunched slightly at the introduction. Orion hid a smile. Harry had once told him his mother had confided in him that she liked her name about as much as Ted's mother had liked hers.

"'_Elaine's a nice enough name,_'" he could hear Harry quote in his mind. "'_but coupled with my last name…Well, I suppose I should be happy my parents at least had enough sense to not make the two __**rhyme**__. And who besides angry parents use middle names? I don't see what Tonks is complaining about, really. I rather like hers._'"

"Orion Black," he said, shaking her hand and trying not to let the joy such a simple action brought show on his face.

More than anything, he wanted to hug her and never let her go. He knew it was unfair, but his mother had always held a special place in his heart. Elaine was the one that loved him, and cared for him, no matter how short a time it had been. Sirius had gone before he was even born. Then, even though she had been devastated, she had held strong after his death. All for him. Her son.

Was it bad that he loved her more?

"And I'm Ted Lupin," came his friend's voice, pulling him out of his thoughts.

She shook hands with him before turning to look at Remus, her smile a bit wider than before. "I'm glad you find someone, Remus. You deserve it."

He flushed a bit and looked away, mumbling quiet thanks. Orion couldn't help notice the sadness that flashed in her eyes when she said the same to Sirius. He frowned. Why did he have to be so thickheaded?

"You're not any better," Ted murmured, as if reading his thoughts.

He supposed he sort of did, in a way. They had grown up together, so they knew more or less what the other was thinking most of the time.

"I'm much better," he scoffed softly.

"Oh yea? How?"

"I've had steady girlfriends, for one thing," he muttered bitterly, unable to keep his focus off the subject of his father's flippancy in women for long.

Ted frowned slightly, but said nothing. Instead, he placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew that this was the one flaw of his father's that Orion had the most trouble forgiving. Part of him wished that his friend's great grandfather hadn't been quite so blunt in his descriptions of Sirius Black.

'_Or as opinionated,'_ he thought with some annoyance as he saw Orion sink into one of his moods. _'It's a good thing Harry told him all the good things about Sirius or else I think he'd be completely biased.'_

The man had had good intentions, to be sure, but it was obvious he hadn't been too fond of the idea of his granddaughter being in a relationship with him. When he thought on it, he couldn't blame him. Sirius' reputation as a rebellious playboy had withstood the years after his death, and had affected Orion up until his late teens. It was hard for the old man's words not to color his friend's opinion if people had constantly expected him to act the same.

He appreciated the fact that his own father had tried to not stand out so much right now.

"Ted?"

He blinked and turned to face Orion, who was looking at him questioningly. "What?"

Orion smirked. "We've been calling you for ten minutes."

His eyes widened. "Ten?"

"Nah, just one."

He scowled as Orion started laughing. He had to remind himself that if Orion was laughing, that meant he wasn't brooding (which he happened to do spectacularly, mind you). This was for the greater good. Really.

Oh, who was he kidding?

"Ow! Since when can't you take a joke?"

"Today's 'Hit Orion for Being a Git Day,' didn't you know?"

"Must've missed the memo," he grumbled.

A few people chuckled at the exchange. Elaine came forward again, and Ted noticed with interest that both Orion's scowl and the remnants of his upcoming bad mood faded. It shouldn't have surprised him, all things considered, but he supposed it was one thing knowing how much Orion cared for his mother and another entirely seeing how her presence affected him.

Maybe being here for a while wouldn't be so bad after all.

"So, Alastor told me you two are going to stay here until we find how to get you home."

"If it's no trouble. I'm sure that we could keep out of sight if it is, but it would be much easier."

"It's no trouble at all. I have rooms to spare."

Her expression turned a bit strange for a moment, but it was gone so quickly he wondered if he'd seen it change at all. Orion, who had _finally_ gotten the potion he'd asked for, choked.

"This is _your_ house?"

This was the house that was destroyed in the lingering Death Eater raids after the first fall of Voldemort. _Why_ did it have to be _hers_? It was hard enough keeping a straight face as it was. He didn't notice the way her eyes narrowed slightly at the question.

"Yes. I offered it up as headquarters not too long ago."

"Oh," he responded a bit lamely.

"The décor's changed, so we didn't immediately recognize it," Teddy cut in.

"I see," she said, her expression clearing. "I guess I must've redecorated. Couldn't have expected this old furniture to last much longer as it is…"

'_You don't know the half of it,'_ they thought.

Orion stood up and stretched, groaning a bit in satisfaction when a few bones popped. "Hate sitting on the ground for so long. That landing didn't help either."

"Why would you sit on the ground anyway? I thought you said you worked for Gringotts," Alice asked.

"You really think I'd have a _desk job_?" He said with a snort. "I'm a curse breaker. Sometimes getting through protective enchantments takes so long that we _have_ to sit down."

"Curse breaker, huh? Your knowledge on spells must be pretty big," Frank commented.

"I guess so. To be honest, I've never really thought about it. Ted probably knows more than I do."

Ted, who was in the process of stretching himself, looked over with an amused expression. "Right. Who was the one constantly researching all the spells Bill told us about?"

"I was curious!" Orion protested. "Some of'm sounded really cool."

"And you wonder why Molly eventually forbid him from talking about work when the two of you were in the same room. Not that it did much good."

"Your point?"

"You're a walking encyclopedia of spells. That's my point."

"Way to make me sound like a know-it-all, Ted."

"You _are_ a know-it-all, Orion."

"Am _not_," he huffed.

"Mate, when Aunt Hermione starts using your O.W.L and N.E.W.T scores as an example to her kids, you're a know-it-all."

Orion opened his mouth, but closed it again, disgruntled. "_Fine_. But it's not like she didn't use yours too."

"Mine didn't have as much of an impact," Ted said with a shrug. "Anyway, are we each going to have our own room, or do we share one?"

"You can have your own room if you want," Elaine said with a quiet laugh.

"That would be great."

She nodded and turned to Dumbledore.

"Should I show them now, or do you want them here for the meeting?"

"They can stay a while longer. We still need to discuss a plan of action as to how to go about getting them back to their proper time."

"What about the meeting?"

"This, I believe, takes priority. The longer they stay in the past, the greater the danger becomes; both for them, and ourselves."

A slight tenseness fell over everyone as the weight of those words sunk in.

"As Mr. Black-"

"Orion."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Very well. As Orion has pointed out, it will be difficult to search the school with staff and students about. While it might be safer to wait until the Christmas holidays-"

Ted and Orion exchanged barely concealed, panic-stricken looks. They most definitely did _not_ want to stick around until then.

"-I feel that we do not have that option. We need to find a way to search the school in secret."

"The staff could search the castle for a while during their nightly rounds," Edgar suggested.

"But the only staff member in the Order is McGonagall. While I know we could trust teachers like Flitwick and Sprout, we can't say the same for everyone," Caradoc countered.

"As much as I don't like it, I think Dumbledore and McGonagall are going to have to do a majority of the searching," James said. "And maybe we should think about asking Professors Flitwik and Sprout if they want to join the Order. Between the four of you, it'll be easier."

"Yes, that might be best," Dumbledore agreed with a nod of his head. "The less people that are aware of them, the better. We can trust Filius and Pomona, so that shouldn't be a problem."

"Are you sure, Dumbledore?" Alice asked. "It seems like a lot to take on for just four people."

He smiled. "We will manage, I'm sure. Minerva has always been quite excellent at dividing her time and that of others."

Said teacher smiled slightly at this.

"If I could request something?"

At the quiet voice, everyone turned to Remus. Remus, in turn, flushed slightly and shook his head, gesturing to the other Lupin. Now a little embarrassed themselves, they looked at him.

He laughed softly. "Sorry, I hadn't realized quite how much we sound alike. People tell me, of course, but I never gave it much thought."

Orion snorted quietly. _'Liar.'_

Ignoring this, Ted continued. "Do you think it's possible to get a time turner? Perhaps, while you search the school, Orion and I can try to figure out a different way home."

"What good would it do you?" Moody asked suspiciously. "They only go back."

"Usually," Ted agreed. "But the magical theory concerning time travel has made some improvements where we're from."

It had to, once the Department of Mysteries- more specifically, the room full of time turners -was trashed in Harry's fifth year. Starting from scratch is never easy, but it can lead to some good things.

"It's possible that we might be able to reverse engineer it to go forward instead-"

"Seriously, Ted?" Orion interrupted with a grimace. "And here I thought you were going to suggest something easier."

"I'll have you with me, won't I?"

"Give me a break here. Sure, I can tell you about goblin wars and who created what potion in what year, but that's pushing it even for me. Do you _know_ how long something like that would _take_?"

"So you _do_ know how to go about it."

"I really wish you would stop doing that," he muttered after a moment of stunned silence.

Ted only grinned. Accepting defeat for now, Orion sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I have a general idea," he admitted. "But like I said, something like that would be extremely difficult. It could very easily take years to accomplish. There's a _reason_ why time turners only go back, you know."

"I figured," Ted confessed. "But we need a backup plan."

"I guess so. Would that be okay, sir?" he asked, looking at Dumbledore.

"Hmm...I don't see why not. Of course, I would prefer it not come to it taking years, but young Mr. Lupin has a point. It is always best to have another plan in reserve. However," he leveled a more serious gaze onto them. "I request you only work on this project while there is someone to keep an eye on you. For safety reasons, of course. This is a dangerous undertaking, as I'm sure you're aware of."

"Sure," they agreed easily.

"Then I shall see to it that you get a time turner as soon as possible," he told them, smiling again.

"Thank you."

Orion sighed and leaned back in his chair. "This is going to be like N.E.W.T. year all over again, isn't it?"

"Stop complaining. You know you enjoy it."

He smirked. "Maybe."

"Okay, this is just too weird," James said with a face. "You look like Sirius, but the things you say sound more like Remus. And you-" he turned to Ted, "look- and mostly act -like Remus but sound more like Sirius at times."

The two in question looked at each other for a moment, and then laughed.

"We influenced each other a bit, I think," Ted told them. "I used to be more reserved."

"And I was very blunt-"

"Still are."

"Shut it, you. I'm not as bad as before."

"But you've always been studious?" another Order member asked curiously.

"For the most part, yea," Orion said easily, hooking his hands behind his head. "I got that from my mum. From what I hear, Dad wasn't really one for that sort of thing."

"Got that right," Sirius agreed. "There are so many better things to do with my time."

"Helps that you never really _had_ to study, eh, Padfoot?"

"Too true."

"That reminds me," Lily interrupted. "What Houses were you in?"

"Come on, Lily, the sons of Padfoot and Moony? Where else could they be? Gryffindor!"

A lot of the room felt inclined to agree. Ted and Orion looked at each other, unsure on how to respond. At their silence, the group turned to them.

"You _are_ in Gryffindor…right?"

In their time, which House you were in wasn't such a big deal. However, both knew how different things were now, and how much importance was placed in the sorting. Part of them wondered what the reaction would be, while the other was afraid of the very same thing. Finally, deciding that there was really nothing they could do about it- and that they _really_ wanted to know what their parents would think, they sighed.

"No, actually," Ted replied. "Neither of us are in Gryffindor."

"_What_?"

"Well then, what house were you in?" Remus asked curiously.

Ted gave him a half grin, but Remus wasn't fooled. He could see the slight anxiousness Ted had in his eyes.

"Me? Hufflepuff."

Remus smiled. "A good House, to be sure."

The anxiousness vanished.

"Thanks."

"What about you, Orion?" Marlene asked.

"It's not Slytherin, is it?" Sirius questioned with distaste.

"And if it is?" Orion challenged. "You gonna disown me?"

Sirius glared, but you could see his unease at Orion's words. It was clear he wasn't sure what to say. Ted elbowed Orion again.

"What is it with you and my ribs, Ted? The same spot? Really?"

"Stop antagonizing him then."

"He's a git. I'm his son. I have familial rights to say whatever the bloody hell I want."

"You know what I said earlier about him not acting like Sirius?" James cut in. "Forget it, that's him through and through."

"Glad we got _that_ all cleared up."

"So, what House were you really in?" Dorcas asked.

"Ravenclaw."

"It's kind of fitting, in a way." Benjy mused.

"It's a wonderful house," Elaine agreed. "I'm sure you did it proud."

"Glad you think so."

Ted could tell he was trying very hard not to grin from ear to ear, especially after Elaine complimented him. He smirked. "Sometimes, anyway," he couldn't help telling them. "While at school, he was known as the Rogue of Ravenclaw."

"Rogue?"

Orion glared briefly at his friend, but elaborated anyway. "For my roguish good looks and decidedly different Ravenclaw-ish behavior...When it came to things other than my studies, anyway." He laughed softly. "Good times."

"It's better than Slytherin, I guess," Sirius grumbled.

"It's actually not so bad in our time," Orion said with a roll of his eyes. "And I'll have you know, Pops, that the hat considered putting me in there."

"Yea, you were an ambitious little brat, weren't you?" Ted mocked.

"Tch, like you were any better, Mr. Overachiever. Besides, it was my sly cunning that it was referring to."

"I'm sure it was."

Orion laughed, "All right, this is getting us nowhere. Let's just leave it as 'I was a delightfully devious and ambitious little monster with a penchant for mischief,' okay?"

"Fair enough, though it does make you sound like you have an ego the size of Hogwarts."

"There's just no winning with you, is there?"

"Not really, no."

Ted was grinning, Orion was shaking his head, and the rest were laughing. Finally, Orion stretched again with a yawn.

"So the game plan concerning us is done right? If so, I'd like to get some rest. Time travel takes a lot out of you, not counting what I was doing _before_..."

"I agree. It would be best if we let you get on with your actual meeting."

Dumbledore nodded. "Elaine, if you would?"

"All right." She stood, and headed for a door. "Follow me, you two."

Elaine led them upstairs and down a cozy looking hallway before stopping at the end, where two doors stood across from one another. "There are two rooms here. I'll let you decide which one you want." Once that was decided, she smiled at them. "I'll probably be here more often than not, so just let me know if there's anything you need."

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Anyone else here would have done the same."

"Even Moody?" Orion asked with a grin.

"Well, almost everyone," she amended with a laugh.

"He's just overly paranoid, so you can't really blame him," Ted felt like pointing out. "Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, 'Rion. Goodnight, Elaine."

"Goodnight, Ted."

"See ya, Ted."

Ted smiled to himself as he shut the door behind him. Orion probably knew that he'd left to give him some time alone with his mother. Whether or not he was grateful or nervous was something he'd have to find out tomorrow- along with their plans on what to do and how to handle the questions that would inevitably come their way. For now, it was time to rest.

Back in the hallway, a slightly awkward silence had fallen. Slightly, because while not uncomfortable with the present company, neither really knew what to say.

Elaine was the first to break the silence.

"I've been meaning to ask, but...you don't think much of Sirius, do you?"

He started, eyes widening a little. "I- what?"

"You seemed to antagonize him a lot, and weren't very nice when speaking to him."

Orion grimaced slightly. He knew he'd taken things a little too far, but he just couldn't help it. It was unfair- especially concerning that his dad hadn't meant to do some of the things he did -but he also felt a sort of guilty satisfaction in being so rude. The question here was what to tell her.

Looking into her eyes, he realized that he couldn't give her anything but the truth.

"I...have some issues with him. I love Dad, really I do, but I just get so angry at him sometimes. He made some pretty big mistakes before I was born that affected lots of people. Especially Mum. So, while I do care about him, and respect him to some degree, I don't know if I can forgive him."

"You will." Elaine smiled when he looked at her curiously. "I know you might not want to hear it, judging from what you've told me, but you really do resemble your father. And I don't just mean in looks."

"...I'm not sure if I should take that as a compliment or not."

"Then leave it be," she laughed. "Sirius does have some flaws, like holding grudges and a rather volatile temperament at times, but he's a good man. He does what he thinks is best not for himself, but for the people he cares about. He's also loyal, determined, and can lighten anyone's day with a bit of humor if he wants to."

She glanced back down the hallway with a soft expression that made Orion's heart ache. It ached with the pain of knowing the things the man she loved deeply even now would make her go through. Fortunately, before he could think much on it, she continued.

"I saw a bit of that in you while you were talking to Ted. I can tell you're just as good a friend as Sirius is, and that you value them just as much; but, I can also see you got some of his grudge tendencies." She smiled with understanding at his sheepish expression. "I'm not surprised he made mistakes along the way, but each one no doubt helped him get a little wiser, just as it happens with everyone."

"Mum didn't seem to do anything wrong." Talking with her now, it was even harder to believe that she ever had.

Everyone had always told him what a good person she was. Now he saw why they would say that. It was nice, telling her- in a way -of some of the problems he had. Harry had tried to help, but apart from being a little biased on his opinion of Sirius himself, it...just wasn't the same as talking to her. She had a refreshing view of things, and didn't make him feel awkward when talking at all. How could a person like her mess up?

"I'm sure your mum made just as many mistakes in her life. We all do."

"...What about you? You don't seem like the type to botch something up either."

"Ah, I guess I just hide it well, then."

He really wanted to know, but he knew it would be strange- and suspicious -to ask. His mother had been a Ravenclaw herself, so it wasn't beyond the realm of reason to assume she could put together the facts if given. He would have to be careful. So, he made a vague noise of agreement and gave her a nod.

"Hey, what's taking so long up there?"

He made a face before he could help it, garnering a stifled laugh. As Sirius made his way upstairs, Elaine placed a tentative hand on his shoulder. When he didn't brush it off, she smiled.

"Give him a chance," she told him softly. "He's not quite the man you know yet; hasn't had the time to make the mistakes you say he did...Get to know who he was before. I think you'll be surprised. Plus, it'll give you some time with him."

He looked at her with slightly widened eyes. The way she was talking almost made it sound like she _knew_...He laughed sadly, remembering Harry telling him that she had been oddly insightful like that. Yes, he'd definitely have to be careful around her, if she was able to piece together so much already. Then again, he hadn't been very discreet in the first place.

Sirius was in the hallway now, making his way toward them with an expression of curiosity.

"...Did he go peacefully?" The words were almost a whisper now.

"...He went down fighting."

She smiled, but it was sorrowful too. "He probably preferred it that way."

"Yea..."

Then he was there, and Orion was struck with a slew of emotions as he realized he was standing together with his family for the first time in his life. It was enough to make his breath catch in his throat and his eyes sting suspiciously. He was _not_ going to cry. He was twenty, damn it! He shouldn't be getting this worked up.

"You okay?"

Sirius's hand had replaced Elaine's on his shoulder. It was warm and comforting in a way George's and Harry's had never been. He hated that he found it so because he was supposed to be angry at him for dying. For leaving him and his mother alone.

Why didn't that seem so important anymore?

"I'm fine," he said gruffly.

"Really? 'Cause you look like you're gonna cry to me."

He glared, the moment decidedly broken, and moved away from under the hand. How his mother ended up with a thoughtless prick like him, he'd never know.

"Goodnight, Elaine."

She sighed; an amused, though slightly exasperated look appearing on her face. "Goodnight, Orion."

"Don't I get a goodnight too?"

"No."

He turned, fully intent on leaving. He could always talk to Elaine tomorrow- when Sirius wasn't there.

"Until I am measured, I am not known..."

He paused- as his mother's voice always seemed able to make him do -with a hand on the doorknob. He felt the corners of his lips twitch, even as he let out a breath of laughter. Trust a Ravenclaw to try and tell you something in a riddle.

"Yet how you miss me, when I have flown," he finished softly. There was a brief pause before he shook his head with a sigh of his own. "Okay. I'll try."

"That's all I ask."

"I'll see you tomorrow, Elaine...Sirius."

"What? No 'Dad'?"

The door shut in his face.

"Sirius..."

"What? What did I do?"

"Never mind...Let's just get back to the meeting."

Sirius cast a strange look at the door for a moment, but nodded. He could think more on it later, preferably with James and a bottle of Firewhisky. This day was just too much.

"What was that you said back there?" he asked as they made their way back down. "Sounded like a riddle."

"It was."

"What was the point of it?"

"I was trying to tell him something." _'Something that's best if you don't know...'_

His brows furrowed. "Wouldn't it be better to just tell him straight out then?"

"It's more fun this way."

A funny little quirk to her lips made him smile. He'd never seen that look on her before. Come to think of it, he didn't think he'd ever seen her quite this open before.

"If you say so. I think it's just a Ravenclaw thing."

She laughed. "Maybe."

Sirius grinned, but it quickly made way for a more thoughtful expression. "He'll be okay though, right? He seemed kind of upset."

"He'll be fine. Just give him some time. It can't be easy coming to the past like this."

"Yea. You have a point."

He shook his head to clear it for now, forgetting the echoing movement Orion had done moments ago. Elaine smiled as she caught it, but said nothing.

"Let's get back before Moody decides we've taken too long and were abducted by a vanishing cabinet or something...Hmm, now _there's_ an idea..."

"Sirius!"

"What? You totally find it funny. See, you're laughing!"

**XXXXXXX ~Chapter End**

So there ends the latest chapter. I didn't quite intend for it to be so filler like, but the chapter got away from me, and before I knew it, I had twenty-three pages and not a lot of plot development. There was a fair bit of character interaction; at least I think so, so that's okay, right? The next one should get things moving.

Orion really does love Sirius, but he's also a total momma's boy. He feels it's a bit unfair that Sirius chose to fight so recklessly when he knew he had a family waiting. To him, it's almost like he didn't care. That, coupled with the emotional upheavals he made Elaine go through, and some of the things Orion went through while growing up, and he's not at the top of the favorites list. Their relationship will improve as Orion gets to know Sirius better, but it'll take time. They are both stubborn and proud men. That's not going to make it easy.

There wasn't a lot of Ted here, but that's mostly because I saw this as an Orion chapter as I wrote on. I plan to make the next one more focused on the younger Lupin, though, so expect some fluffy Remus/Ted father/son moments. I'm still wondering if and how I would incorporate Tonks in here. I think it would be amusing. Any ideas?

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it. If not, let me know. Constructive criticism is always welcome, but please, be respectful. There's a difference between "You dragged it on a little here, and here, and here. Then there was what happened there..." and "This idea sucks and you can't write."

I've yet to really receive any sort of review like the latter, but I have seen it happen to a few friends of mine. They brush it off well enough, but one can tell it annoys them.

Yea...That's about it for now. Thanks for reading. Until next time and take care!


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